Jewelry item

Abstract

A decorative jewelry item comprises a base member ( 2 ) with a hollow interior and a decorative top ( 7 ), a cap ( 19 ) brought down over the decorative top, and a fastener arrangement ( 21 ) for fixing the cap to the base member after the cap is brought into contact with the decorative top. The cap has an opening ( 23, 25 ) therein through which the decorative top ( 7, 9 ) of the base member can be observed. All exposed surfaces of the base member ( 2 ) and cap ( 19 ) may have surface finishing features and/or graphic representations or designs to make the jewelry item more attractive. In an alternative construction, a decorative insert is inserted, through an opening in the top of a hollow base member, and is fixed within the base member with the insert below the base member top and viewable through the top opening. The jewelry item may be designed to have the appearance of a single decorative unit, or to have the appearance of a double (or greater) decorative unit. Such units have application in many jewelry items. A number of such units may be connected in series to form a tennis bracelet.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A method for constructing a decorative jewelry item, comprising:
 providing a base member having a hollow interior, a top with an opening therein leading to said hollow interior, a bottom, and a sidewall extending from said top to said bottom; 
 providing a decorative insert smaller than said opening, said decorative insert for being inserted, through said opening, into said hollow interior and positioned entirely below said top, said decorative insert comprising a plate-shaped top and a rear projecting pin; 
 providing a support member fixed to the interior of said base member, said support member provided with a hole therethrough for receiving said pin; 
 placing said decorative insert into said hollow base member through said top opening and entirely positioned below said top, whereby said decorative insert is viewable through said top opening; and 
 after placing said decorative insert, fixing said decorative insert to said support member within said base member, said fixing said decorative insert including fixing said pin to said support member by a process selected from the group consisting of applying an adhesive, soldering, welding including laser welding, molecular bonding, swaging, bending, and clamping, wherein: 
 said provided base member is segmented and has a multiple segmented hollow interior, a top with a multiple segmented opening therein leading to said hollow interior, a bottom, and a sidewall extending from said top to said bottom; 
 said provided decorative inset is a multiple segmented decorative insert configured and sized in relation to said multiple segmented top opening to be inserted, through said multiple segmented top opening, into said hollow interior and positioned below said top; and 
 said fixing said decorative insert comprises inserting said multiple segmented decorative insert within said hollow interior with each segment of said multiple segmented decorative insert viewable through said top opening. 
 
     
     
       2. The method as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein:
 said multiple segmented decorative insert has a plurality of said rear projecting pins, one of said pins located adjacent opposite edges of said multiple segmented decorative insert, such that at least one segment of said multiple segmented decorative insert does not have a rear projecting pin; 
 said segmented base member has a plurality of insert support members fixed to said base member interior for receiving corresponding ones of said plurality of rear projecting pins; and 
 said fixing said decorative insert comprises fixing each pin to its corresponding insert support member.